How Allergies May Affect Your Hearing

Discover the link between seasonal allergies and your ears.

The warming temperatures and seasonal shift to spring can be a joyous time of year. However, spring allergens can sometimes cause temporary sensations you can feel in your ears. If you or someone you care about experiences seasonal allergies, keep reading to discover more about how they could affect your hearing and ways you can prepare your ears for spring.

How Allergies Can Affect Hearing In some people, allergies can create swelling of the outer ear and ear canal, making soft noises harder to hear, loud noises sound muffled, or certain sounds may echo or seem far away. This is called conductive hearing loss, a temporary form of hearing loss in which sound transmission from the outer and/or middle ear into the inner ear is interrupted. Other sensations may include clogging, popping, or fullness in your ears. You may also feel these sensations if allergy-induced fluid builds up in the middle ear and blocks the Eustachian tube. While these symptoms in your ears are usually temporary, your doctor can provide an accurate diagnosis and suggest a treatment plan if needed.

Other Allergy Symptoms that can Affect Your EarsAside from swelling or fluid build-up that may cause temporary hearing loss, a few other allergy-related symptoms that may affect your ears, hearing, or balance include:

Be sure to schedule an appointment with your doctor or audiologist to discuss your symptoms and potential treatment plan.

How to Prepare Your Ears for Spring While seasonal allergies can feel uncomfortable at times, a bit of proactive attention can help reduce their effect on your hearing. When allergy symptoms hit, some over-the-counter antihistamines or decongestants may help relieve excess fluid and reduce blockage. Note that it’s always best to check with your doctor before trying at-home allergy remedies. You may also want to adopt a regimen that can help reduce fluid build-up in your body, including exercise and a low-sodium diet. Some foods like grapes, watermelon, bell peppers, and asparagus are known to help minimize fluid retention.

If you wear hearing aids, keep them clean and dry from springtime moisture and pollens. Added TLC this time of year can help keep them functioning at peak level.

Not everyone experiences the same symptoms of seasonal allergies. If allergies affect your hearing, remember that for most people the sensations are usually temporary and manageable with a little extra care. Your doctor will be able to guide you through the treatment plan that is best for you.

Company

Support

Made in America

FEDERAL LAW PROHIBITS ANYONE BUT REGISTERED USERS WITH HEARING LOSS FROM USING INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP) CAPTIONED TELEPHONES WITH THE CAPTIONS TURNED ON. IP Captioned Telephone Service may use a live operator. The operator generates captions of what the other party to the call says. These captions are then sent to your phone. There is a cost for each minute of captions generated, paid from a federally administered fund. No cost is passed on to the CapTel user for using the service. CapTel captioning service is intended exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. CapTel® is a registered trademark of Ultratec, Inc. (v5.6 10-19)